Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-04-25
ANTELOPE VALLEY.
What n Traveller Thinks of its
Future.

| Future.
Mr.. EDITOR: Having been for some
time in Antelope Valley, and thinking Q
few remarks on that section would be oi
interest to to your readers, and also con.
sideriDg it duty, as there are 10 many
false rumors about that country, 1 win
state few facts as seen by me. Getting
off the cars at Lancaster found there
was q change going on. Several men
were planting fruit tees and grape vines
in position to show from the passing
trains. Rows of ANAL shade trees have
been set out on some sf the streets, and
next year will change the appearance Of
the place. There is a small patch Of al
fslfa near the depot building, which,
since beirg fenced and kept from chick.
ems, etc., has grown nearly foot in
height. People who are not farmers or
judges Of good soil can see that although
the land here spsken OF is reported to
be no good, that il alfalfa, ETC., grows
in il, that it must be new kind Of mo
good SOIL" / was taken back of Mr.,
Scherer's store and saw about thirty
fruit trees in splendid condition. Apri.
cot trees had fruit ON them as large as
pecan nuts. This was about the frat Of
April. Cherry, prune, olive, apple,
pecan and almond trees do we'll aud max e
fine growth. At the section-boss's house,
opposite The depot, / saw a
three.yoar-old grape vine that last
year yielded about thirty Eve
pounds Of grapes. On inquiry l
found water is obtained in town ut about
ten feet from the. surface and surround.
ing the town, from three to fifteen feet
from the surface. The soil differs
greatly. In the cast the soil is stiff clay
loan; west. sand and clay loan; south,
gravelly loan. The clay loan is said to
be particularly adapted to raisin grape
culture and with water SO near the sur.
face they will grow without irrigation.
Drying facilities are excellent, there be.
ing no fogs. These moist lands have
the advantage Of those in the southern
part of Los Angeles county. as there is
no dampness on the surface or hanging
over them, as can bo seen by looking
south from the Pasadena ard sierra
Madre foothills towards the ocean.
When the fact Of this and the fertility of
the soil 10 better known these lands will
rapidly enhance in value. The f,othill
country on the soath side shows q
healthy growth. met Nick Coachum,
the great grain producer. He showed
us piece Of beautiful grain and it can
not bs beatsn. He has given up ranch
ing near Los Argeles aud is now
settled for good on bis eight hundred
acre farm, two miles north Of Maynard.
He is looking up some moist land being
convinced that raisins are to be the
staple up thele. He put out number
OF trees and vines on his .Foothill place
and believes that the almond and cherry
will do better than in Los Angeles. He
claims that with proper cultivation he
can keep land moist enough up on tie
foot hills to grow trees and vines with.
out irrigation as he did near Los An.
geles. He was the fret man to open up
Antelope Valley aud he knows what he
is talking about. On the railroad l
hoard a gentleman from Pasadena ex.
press himself that he thought Antelope
Valley had great future and was q
good place for young men to make
start as it was about the only place in
Southern California that good cheap
land could be found. Oni quiry found
that party of capitalists from Pasadena
have been making Lancaster their head.
quarters while searchicg for lard and
slthough very quiet about the matter it is
stated that they purchased some four
thousand acres and it is unders ood
they ara going to expsnd money on it.
Ii this class of men once get in there
will be new life infused and q new Pasa.
dena can be looked for.
LAND PRosPECToR.